Condenser construction



June 13,1933. I A-L NE 1,913,553

' CONDENSER CONSTRUCTION Filed May 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l j v iINVENT R BY ,6/a1l+ 401i;

ATTORNEY June 13, 1933. LANE 1,913,553

CONDENSER CONSTRUCTION Fled May 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 20 yawmaATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1933 PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND 4. LANE, ornnimuns'r,

m YORK, Assmuoa' 'ro rnonuc'rs rao'rac'rron CORPORATION, L CORPORATION01 DELAWARE CONDENSER CONSTRUCTION Application fled m 2:,

This invention relates to electric condenser construction.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple, practicaland eflicient elec-. tric condenser. Another object is to provide anelectric condenser for operation at high voltages and to minimizeinsulation difficulties. Another object is to provide an electriccondenser of the above-mentioned character in which a high capacity perunit volume may be achieved in a thoroughly dependable and inexpensivemanner. An other object is to provide an electric condenser capable oflong-continued use and in which the possibility of break-down is greatlyminimized. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed outhereinafter. I

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will beexemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scopeof the ap lication of which will be indicated in the ollowing claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possibleembodiments of my invention,

Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view of the assembled condenserconstruction, certain parts being indicated diagrammatically,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, as

seen along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a detached vertical sectional view, like that of Figure 1but fragmentary,

on an enlarged scale, showing a mechanical connection between certain ofthe solid'dieleetric parts of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown at 10 a tankor container preferably made of heavy steel so i as to withstandsubstantial pressures; this container is preferably of generallycylindrical shape and'is preferably a pressed steel tank. havingtherefore an integrally formed end 11 and being provided with anendmempossible 1930. Serial Io. 455,071.

ly and having a length substantially equal to the radius of the tank 10.These arms are slotted on their lower faces as at 15, 16 and 17, theslots 15 extending along a circle ofa radius equivalent to that of atube 18 of solid dielectric material, such as Bakelite or Dilecto sothat the upper end of the tube 18 may be seated in the four innermostslots on the arms of the member 14.

The slots 16 are similarly shaped to lie on a circle so that the upperend of a tube 19 of solid dielectric material, of greater diameter thanthat of the tube 18, may be seated in the slots 16 and the two tubesthus held concentrically, The slots 17 lie along a circle of stillgreater radius and form seats for the upper solid dielectric diameter.

Each solid dielectric tube, illustratively three in number, though itis'to be understood that more or less than three may be employed,supports a condenser stack, each stack being made up of spaced andinsulated plate members and being, in so far as eermaterial and of stillgreater tain features of my invention are concerned,

of any suitable construction, but preferably these stacks are made up ofmetal. foil plates alternated with a suitable solid dielectric materialin sheet form, such as paper.

Considering first the condenser stack 23 associated with the outermosttube 20, the metal foil plate members and the interposed paperinsulation are washer or torus-shaped and are alternately strung ontothe solid dielectric tube 20, the completed stack 23 being supported atits upper and lower ends by end of a tube 20 of similar washers 21 and22, respectively, made of solid dielectric material and suitably securedto the solid dielectric tube 20, as by pinning thereto. In Figure 3 Ihave shown on an enlarged scale a pin 50 passing through the soliddielectric tube 20 and into the washer 21, as illustrative of a possibleway of securing together these as well as the insulating tubes and otherinsulating washers mentioned hereinafter.

The inside diameters of these washershaped condenser elements aresubstantially equal to the outside diameter of the solid dielectric tubesupport 20 but the outside diameters thereof progressively decrease fromone end of the stack to the other, illustratively in Figure 1, from thelower end of the stack 23 to the upper end, thus to provide a spacingbetween the stack 23 and the interior side wall of the casing 10 thatprogressively increases in an upward direction.

The solid dielectric tube 19 has strung thereupon a condenser stack 24of generally similar construction, the latter being held between upperand lower washers 25 and 26 of solid dielectric material, suitablysecured to the supporting tube 19. The inslde diameters of the condenserelements of the stack 24 are uniform so that the washer-shaped elementsfit snugly about the tube 19, but the outside diameters of theseelements progressively diminish in a direction from the upper end of thestack 24 to the lower end thereof, thus to provide a spacing between thestack 24 and the surrounding stack 23* that increases in a downwarddirection, for a purpose more clearly described hereinafter.

The innermost tube 18 also supports a condenser stack 27, held betweenupper and lower washers 28 and 29 and having elements of an outsidediameter increasing progressively in a direction from the upper end ofthe stack 27 to the lower end thereof, thus to provide a spacing betweenthe stacks 27 and 24 that increases radially from one end of the stacktoward the other.

The lower ends of the solid dielectric tubes 18. 19 and 20 are receivedin slots 30, 31 and 32 formed in a member 33 substantially similar inconstruction to the member 14 abovedescribed, the. slotted member 33being secured to the inside face of the closure member 12, the latterbeing welded, or otherwise suitably secured to the container 10, as isindicated 'at 34.

Thus the several condenser stacks are arranged concentrically withrespect to each other as well as with respect to the cylindrical tank10, all as will be clear particularly from Figure 2.

The condenser elements of each condenser stack may be connected togetherin any suitable manner, but preferably each stack is sub-divided intosections, the sections being connected in series but the condenser unitsor elements withinasection being preferably connected in parallel.Preferably also the capacities of the different sections are the same.

Thus by way of illustration, I have shown the condenser stack 23 made upof eight sections 23, 23, 23, etc., the axial length of the successivesections increasing as their individual outside diameters, and hence theareas of their individual plates, decrease, in order that the capacitiesof all of the sections be the same.

The individual condenser elements of each section preferably have thesame inside and outside diameters though, as has been pointed out aboveand as will be clear from Figure 1 of the drawings, the diametersprogressively diminish to provide the varying spacing between thecondenser stack 23' and the walls of the casing 10.

The sections 23, 23", etc. are connected in series by connectionsindicated at 35 and the lowermost and end terminal of the lowermostsections 23 of the condenser stack 23 is grounded to the casing 10, by aconductor 36.

The remaining condenser stacks are likewise preferablysectionalized, thesections of the stack 24 being shown at 24, 24", 24, etc., and thesections of the condenser stack 27 being indicated at 27, 27*, 27, etc.The sections of the individual stacks are preferably connected inseries.

'A conductor 37, passing through the supporting tube 20 connects theuppermost and end terminal of the section 23 'with the uppermost and endterminal of the upper section 24 of the stack 24 while a conductor 38,passing through the insulating tube 19, connects the lowermost section24 of the stack 24 to the lowermost section 27 of the stack 27, aconductor 39, passing through the supporting tube 18, connecting theuppermost section 27 of the stack 27 to the conductor that passesthrough the high voltage terminal, the latter permitting the connectionof the condenser to a suitable oil'- cuit.

Inasmuch as the effective diameters and hence plate areas of the platesdiminish as one passes from the outermost annular stack to the innermostor central stack, the number of sections in the inner condenser stacksdiminishes since more individual condenser elements are required to makeup each section, if the capacities of the various sections are to bemaintained the same. It is also to be noted that I prefer to separateadjacent sections by suitable washers 40 of solid dielectric material.

The casing 10 is thereupon filled with a gaseous dielectric, such asnitrogen, under a pressure 'on the order of fifteen atmospheres, andthis gaseous dielectric, having an exceedingly highdielectric strength,coacts with certain of the features above described in a unique mannerto achieve many thoroughly practical advantages. In order that certainof these advantages may be better understood, it might first be polntedout that the various spacings, each preferably varying in width, asabove described, are filled with this gaseous dielectric under pressure.the condenser sections, serially connected as above pointed out, areconnected, moreover, in a predetermined relation with respect to thesevarying spaces.

. Considering first the spacing between the interior walls of the casin10 and the condenser stack 23, it will rst be noted, refcrringespecially to .the left-hand portion of Figure 1, that the spacingbetween the wall of the casin and the lowermost section 23, one of w oseterminals is grounded to the tank, may be made relatively small, thisspacing being filled with the gaseous dielectric under pressure whichthus serves to effectively insulate these parts from each other. As thecircuit is traversedin an upward direction along the coil sections 23",23, 23, etc., assuming, of course, apparatus is connected to a suitablecircuit, particularly one of high voltage, the voltage increases,-eachsection by an amount equal to the reactance drop therethrough. Thevoltage gradient, therefore, between the condenser stack 23 and theinterior walls of the casing 10 increases,

achieving a maximum between the uppermost-section 23 and the wall of thecasing.

The voltage difference might vary from substantially zero between thelowermost condenser section 23 and the casing 10 to 5000 volts betweenthe uppermost condenser section 23 and the wall of the casing, assuming,'by way of illustration, that the condenser is to operate upon a15000-volt circuit and that each stack is to provide a reactance drop of5000 volts. This varying potential diil'erence is effectively insulatedby the gaseous dielectric layer interposed between the outer stack 23and the wall of the casing 10, the thickness of this layer increasing asthe potential difference increases. Due to the high dielectric strengthof the gaseous dielectric under pressure I am enabled to much moreclosely space these two parts than would otherwise be the case.

The stack '23 is insulated from the stack- 24 by the solid dielectricsleeve'20 and a layer of gaseous dielectric under pressure arranged inseries with the solid dielectric of the sleeve, the thickness of thegaseous dielectric layer increasing with the increase in potentialdifference between adjacent parts or sections of the two stacks. Thisspacing is-greatest between the lowermost sections 23 and 24 since thevoltage difference between any parts of the two stacks is It shouldfurther be noted that a permittivity of about 5 that the adding to thevoltage.

greatest here. In a substantially similar manner the stacks 24 and 27-are insulated from each other until the highest potential, above assumedto be 15000 volts. is reached at the terminal of the uppermost section27 of that stack that is most remote from the walls of the casing. Thelocation of the high voltage terminal 13, moreover, is also such thatthe high tension lead 39 can be very short and need not take anycircuitous path. v

By reason of the coaction of the gaseous dielectric under pressure withthe solid dielectric material, these two dielectrics being arranged inseries between adjacent stacks, I am enabled to much more closelyposition adjacent stacks than would otherwise be the case and I amalsoenabled to use a much lesser thickness and hence weight of soliddielectric material. Assuming the solid dielectric tubular supports tobe made of bakelite, for example, these parts will then have or 6,while-the dielectric under pressurev is substantially unity. Thedielectric stress, in a radial. direction, between any two parts ofadjacent stacks, for example,

permittivity. of the gaseous between the sections 23" and 24" of thestacks electric will assume one-sixth or one-seventh the tube and the ofthe total stress while the gaseous dielectric under pressure, havingsuch a high dielectric strength, will assume five-sixthsor six-seventhsof the total vstress, assuming equal thicknesses of the two dielectrics.

As the potential difierences between adjacent condenser stacks increase,the layer of gaseous dielectric increases in thickness and thus Iachieve graded insulation without necessitating peculiarly shaped solidinsulating barriers.

Bearing in mind that the capacities'of the various condenser units'orelements is a function of the square of their diameters, it will be seenthat, for a given size of cylindrical tank, I am enabled to encompasstherein a condenser construction of high capacity, due to thepossibility of closely spacing the parts as above described.Furthermore, in connecting the condenser stacks so that those of higheror highest potential are increasingly more lindrical walls ofthecontainer 10, I am-enabled greatly to minimize the difliculties ofinsulation for the high voltages at which this type of apparatus mayfunction, not only reducing the expense of construction in making itpossible to eliminate cumberdistant from the. cy-

some insulating supports but also in avoidcumbersome solid dielectricsupporting stantially the same potential as said conmeans. tainer, meansconnecting said stacks in se- It will thus be seen that there has beenprovided in this invention a condenser construction in which the variousobjects hereinbefore noted, as well as many thoroughly practicaladvantages are successfully achieved. It will be seen that the apparatusis of simple and durable construction and is exceedingly well adaptedfor operation at high voltages, achieving, moreover, a high capacity perunit volume and otherwise a high efficiency of action.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and asmany changes might be made in the embodiment above setforth, it is to beunderstood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in theaccompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. In condenser construction, in combination, a closed container ofcircular crosssection, a plurality of substantially concentricallyarranged torus-shaped condenser stacks within said container havingtheir axes substantially coincident with the axis of said container, anend terminal of the outermost stack being maintained at substantiallythe same potential as said container, means connecting said stacks inseries so that the potential of the latter increases in a direction fromthe outermost stack to the innermost stack, and means including soliddielectric material and a gaseous dielectric under pressure arranged inseries therewith for insulating one stack from another.

2. In condenser construction, in combination, a closed container ofcircular cross-section, a plurality of substantially concentricallyarranged torus-shaped condenser stacks within said container havingtheir axes substantially coincident with the axis of said container, anend terminal of the outermost stack being maintained at substantiallythe same potential as said container, means connecting said stacks inseries so that the potential of the latter increases in a direction fromthe outermost stack to the innermost stack, said stacks being shaped toprovide spaces intervening therebetween which spaces increase as thevoltage between adjacent spaced stacks increases, and a dielectricmedium filling said spaces.

3. In condenser construction, in combination, a closed container ofcircular crosssection, a plurality of substantially concentricallyarranged torus-shaped condenser stacks within said container havingtheir axes substantially coincident with the axis of said container, anend terminal of the outermost stack being maintained at subries so thatthe potential of the latter increases in a direction from the outermoststack to the innermost stack, said stacks being shaped to provide spacesintervening therebetween which spaces increase as the voltage betweenadjacent spaced stacks increases, and means including a layer of soliddielectric material and a layer of gaseous dielectric under pressure insaid spaces.

4. In condenser construction, in combination, a closed container ofcircular cross-section, a plurality of substantially concentricallyarranged torus-shaped condenser stacks within said container havingtheir axes substantially coincident with the axis of said container, anend terminal of the outermost stack being maintained at substantiallythe same potential as said container, means connecting said stacks inseries so that the potential of the latter increases in a direction fromthe outermost stack to the innermost stack, said stacks being shaped toprovide spaces intervening therebetween which spaces increase as thevoltage between adjacent spaced stacksincreases, and a gaseousdielectric under pressure in said spaces of increasing width.

5. In condenser construction, in combination, a closed container ofcircular crosssection, a plurality of substantially concentricallyarranged torus-shaped condenser stacks within said container havingtheir axes substantially coincident with the axis of said container, anend terminal of the outermost stack being maintained at' substantiallythe same potential as said container, means connecting said stacks inseries so that the potential of the latter increases in a direction fromthe outermost stack to the innermost stack, said outermost stack beingspaced from the walls of said containercby a space that increases inradial width as the voltage between said container and said stackincreases, and a dielectric medium in said space.

6. In condenser construction, in combination, a closed container ofcircular cross-section, a plurality of substantially concentricallyarranged torus-shaped condenser stacks within said container havingtheir axes substantially coincident with the axis of said container, anend terminal of the outermost stack being maintained at substantiallythe same potential as said container, means connecting said stacks inseries so that the potential of the latter increases in a direction fromthe outermost stack to the innermost stack, said outermost stack. beingspaced from the walls of said container by a space that increases inradial width as the voltage between said container and said stackincreases, and a gasetion, a container of circular cross-section, a

condenser stack within said container having substantially circularplate members and positioned so that its axis is substantiallycoincident with the axis of said container, a condenser stack of annularshape surrounding said first-mentioned stack and -s aced from the latterand from the walls 0 said container, and means connecting said stacks sothat a terminal of the second-mentioned stack is at substantially thesame potential as said container and a terminal of said firstmentionedstack is at the highest operative positioned so potential of theapparatus.

8. In condenser construction, in combination, a container of circularcross-section, a condenser stack within said container havingsubstantiallyl positioned so t at its axis is substantially coincidentwith the axis of said container, and a condenser stack of annular shasurroundin said first-mentioned stac and spaced om the latter and fromthe walls of said container,'the spacing between the walls of saidcontainer and said second-mentioned stack increasing as the voltagetherebetween increases.

9. In condenser construction, in combination, a container of circularcross-section, a condenser stack within said container havingsubstantiall circular plate membersand that its axis is substantiallycoincident with the axis of said container, acondenser stack of annularshape surrounding said first-mentioned stack and s aced from the latterand from. the walls 0 said container, and means includin a .soliddielectric material and 'a gaseous dielectric under pressure arranged inseries therewith for insulating one stack from the other.

10. In condenser construction, in combination, a container of circularcross-section, a condenser stack within said container havinsubstantially circular plate .members and positioned so that its axis issubstantially coincident with the axis of said container, and acondenser stack of annular shape surrounding said first-mentioned stackand spacedfrom the latter and from the walls of 'said container, thespacing between said two condenser stacks increasing as the volttagetherebetween increases.

11. In condenser construct'on, in combination, a container of circularcross-section, a condenser stack within said container havingsubstantially circular plate members and positioned so that its axis issubstantially coincident with the axis of said container, 'a condenserstack of annular shape surrounding said first-mentioned stack and s acedfrom the latter and from the walls 0 said container, the spacing betweenthe walls of circular plate members andsaid container and saidsecond-mentioned stack increasing as the voltage therebetween increases,and a gaseous dielectric under pressure in said increasing space.

12. In condenser construction, in combination, a container of circularcross-section, a condenser stack within said container havingsubstantially circular plate members and positioned so that its axis issubstantially coincident with the axis of said container, a condenserstack of annular shape surrounding said first-mentioned stack and s acedfrom the latter and from the walls 0 said container, the spacing betweensaid two condenser stacks increasin as the voltage therebetweenincreases, and means including a gaseous dielectric under pressure insaid increasing space.

13. In condenser construction, in combination, a container of circularcross-section, a condenser stack within said container 'havingsubstantiall circular plate members and positioned so t at its axis -issubstantially coincident with the axis of said container, a condenserstack of annular shape surrounding said first-mentioned stack and spacedfrom the latter and from the walls of said container, one of saidspacings containing a solid dielectric material and a gaseous dielectric.under pressure arranged "in series therewith. Y 14. In condenserconstruction, in combination, a container, a plurality of tubularmembers-of solid dielectric material, each of different diameter, meanssupporting said tubular members concentrically within said container,and washer-shaped condenser plates held in spaced relation and strung 4onto said tubular member.

15. In condenser construction, in combination, a. container, a pluralityof tubular members of solid dielectric material, each of differentdiameter, means supporting said tubular members concentrically withinsaid container, and washer-shaped condenserplates held in spacedrelation and strung onto said tubular member, the outside diameters ofthe Washer-shaped plates strung on. one of said tubular members varyingsubstantially progressively in diameter.

16. In condenser construction, in combination, a container of circularcross-section,

a condenser stack having substantiallycir- .walls of said container.

17. In condenser construction, in combination, a casing, a condenser,stack substantially centrally positioned therein, and a condenser stackinterposed between said firstmentioned stack and the walls of saidcontainer and having plates shaped to extend completely about saidcentral stack.

18. In condenser construction, in combination, a casing, a condenserstack substantially centrally positioned therein, a condenser stackinterposed between said first mentioned stack and the walls of saidcontainer and having plates shaped to extend completely about saidcentral stack, said second-mentioned stack being spaced from both saidcontainer and said central stack, and an insulating medium filling thespaces therebetween.

19. In condenser construction, in combination, a casing, a condenserstack substantially centrally positioned therein, a condenser stackinterposed between said firstmentioned stack and the walls of saidcontainer and having plates shaped to extend completely about saidcentral stack, said second-mentioned stack being spaced from both saidcontainer and said central stack, and a layer of solid dielectricmaterial and a layer of gaseous dielectric under pressure in seriestherewith in one of said spacings.

20. In condenser construction, in combination, a casing, a condenserstack substantially centrally positioned therein, a condenser stackinterposed between said first-mentioned stack and the walls of saidcontainer and having plates shaped to extend completely about saidcentral stack, and means connecting said stacks so that the potentialbetween said first-mentioned stack and said container is greater thanthe potential between said second-mentioned stack and said container.

In testimony whereof, I have si ned my name to this specification this22m day of March, 1930.

RAYMOND A. LANE.

